Are Flat Roofs A Good Thing?

Flat roofs seem to be making a comeback in some residential areas of the country. This is a roof style common with commercial buildings, but with homes, it is an eye catcher. While they give a home a unique look, one has to wonder just how good a flat roof is. After all, where does the rain go and what about the pile up of debris and leaves over time?

You won't notice from the street, but there is a slight slope to a flat roof, for just the reason as stated above – the need for rain, snow and water to drain. One appeal to a flat roof is the ease in building them. In the beginning, flat roofs were built with gravel and tar, but that combination would hold the rain, snow and water and it would become stagnant as it accumulated. So in cold areas of the country, the flat roof was more of a problem maker than the design is worth having.

Today, the materials that flat roofs are built from may be a polymers and synthetic rubber combination. This is a great combination for homes; however for commercial buildings the mixture is not stable enough to cover such a large area.

In addition to be a cost-effective way to roof your home, flat roofs take less time, are said to last longer and the maintenance is minimal. For an area of the country where the weather is uncertain and prone to change without much warning, flat roofs have proven to be a benefit for many homeowners.